Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger

Not for the first time, Maximo Park's arrival on the scene coincided with the emergence of a clutch of other like-minded art-rockers (The Futureheads, Bloc Party). However, the North East quintet had a card up their sleeve to trump all their peers - Paul Smith.

The wiry, behatted frontman is the natural air to Jarvis Cocker and joins the pantheon of great British frontman who appeal to kooky girls and disaffected, bookish lads. Reportedly hired by the rest of the band after witnessing him busting some outlandish moves in a Newcastle nightclub, Smith and Co went on to cement their place in the upper echelons of the list of best British live bands.

In an age when the music industry is becoming increasingly reliant on this particular stream of revenue, that's a handy place to be. Their debut album A Certain Trigger may not contain anything quite as brilliant as their career standout moment to date - Books for Boxes - but it does teem with the sort of radio-friendly, jagged indie-pop anthems most bands would give their guitar collection for.

'Apply Some Pressure' is simply thrilling, particularly in the live arena when it's embellished by Smith's stage histrionics, while 'Going Missing' oozes wit and charm. Overly long at 13 tracks - debut's should be 10 tracks, no more - it's a fine opening gambit, which many will cherish for years to come.